The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in Prague, Czech Republic the selection of Vancouver-Whistler as Host City for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, scheduled February 12 to 28, 2010 and March 12 to 21, 2010 respectively.

We are thrilled that Vancouver-Whistler has been selected as Host for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, said Barrett Fisher, Tourism Whistler`s Interim President & CEO, during an address to an ecstatic crowd of thousands this morning in Whistler following the announcement. We already know from studying past Olympics that significant benefits accrue to tourism from hosting the Games. Our goal is to increase visitor volume and incremental business for our members and partners in the years leading up to, during and beyond the 2010 Games.

Moving forward, Tourism Whistler`s role will be to maximize and accelerate tourism opportunities that result from increased awareness of Whistler as a world-class, year round resort. Chairman of the Board for Tourism Whistler Rick Clare said, In conjunction with the efforts of our tourism, corporate and government partners, the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Winter Olympics will deliver infrastructure benefits and community legacies that will vault Whistler to new levels of global awareness.

Planning has been underway for several months to ensure Tourism Whistler will, through strategic marketing and media relations, convert the unprecedented interest and destination awareness that results from hosting an Olympic Games into new visitation to the resort.

Whistler is a year-round leisure and meeting destination located 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.